Royal Caribbean International’s Enchantment of the Seas began its home port seasonal sailing itinerary from the Port of Galveston with a 7 day Western Caribbean cruise on Monday, May 6, 2019.
“We are excited to welcome yet another Royal Caribbean ship, Enchantment of the Seas to its new seasonal homeport in Galveston. Short cruising is in demand, the market is growing so it’s great that RCCL is expanding their shorter cruise program from Galveston by bringing newer and larger ships to accommodate the growth in the short cruise market, ” said Rodger Rees, CEO, and Port Director. “Giving cruise passengers various sailing options is one of the reasons that this port has climbed the ranks to become the 4th busiest cruise port in the nation.”
Enchantment of the Seas joins the largest cruise ship to sail from the State of Texas, Royal Caribbean International’s Liberty of the Seas, which has an overall length of 1,112 feet. Enchantment of the Seas has an overall length of 990 feet and the Port anticipates an average of 2,400 passengers per cruise. Royal Caribbean International has scheduled fifty 4 and 5-day cruises and one 7-day cruise from Galveston during the 2019 cruise season. These cruises will include ports of call in Cozumel or Progresso, Puerto Costa Maya and the Yucatan, depending on the cruise. The seven-day sailing will visit Puerto Costa Maya, Cozumel and George Town Grand Cayman. These new cruises will result in an estimated additional 122,400 passengers leaving on cruises from Galveston.
Next year, Adventure of the Seas will call Texas home for the first time, becoming the first Voyager class ship and the largest RCI ship sailing short getaways from Galveston. Adventure of the Seas will offer 4- and 5-day sailing to Costa Maya and Cozumel, Mexico. Adventure of the Seas will join Liberty of the Seas, which will be sailing 7-night Caribbean cruises year-round from Galveston.
About the Port of Galveston
The Port of Galveston is the region’s gateway to the Gulf for cruise ships and international trade. Located at the entrance to Galveston Bay, the Port leases and maintains facilities on both Galveston Island and Pelican Island. The Galveston Island operations are a diversified mix of cargo including roll on-roll-off cargo, dry bulk, export grain, refrigerated fruit, general cargo, and project cargo. In addition, the Port currently handles over 1.9 million passenger movements annually. The Port’s Pelican Island facilities are comprised of a combination of an active ship and rig repair facility, a liquid bulk operation, facilities that support the offshore exploration and production business, and two parcels of undeveloped property. The Port is a self-supporting enterprise utility of the City of Galveston with operating revenues of approximately $43.5 million. It does not rely on tax dollars for operations.
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